Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-23
WOUNDED IN BATTLE.
SEVERAL PATHETIC STORIES OF
FIELDS OF CARNAGE.

RecoIlections of an Officer i'm the War of
the Rebellion-A Nervous Wounded
1Ian-The Ambulance Corps-Deserted
Comrades
The military discipline as to the wounded
| was strict-in theory. Theoretically help
less wounded man was to lie where he had
fallen until the stretcher bearers from the
ambulance train picked him up and carried
him off; no sound man was to leave his line
during an engagement TO succor the hurt.
Among the best regiments this discipline was
nearly always enforced, as far as practicable
But among the poorer regiments and the
newer regiments the contrary was apt to be
the case. An extraordinary amount of kindly
feeling was often manifested among these
regiments for their wounded. On one occa-
sion, in 1864, the writer saw four men from
new regiment, then in the first line of bat
tie, tottering back under the burden of a
strapplng fellow, who, on being examined
by provost guard, proved to have but a
painful bullet scratch in the side, and whom
these four We're hastily removing-along
with theInselves-from the chance of further
danger.
There were times, however, when the I'M
harmed might without detriment to the ser
vice assist their wounded to some place of
shelter. Late in the afternoon during the
battle OF Antietam, the writer's brigade.
after having done its share of the bloody
work at the sunken lane of Roulet's farm.
was in the second line of battle and unoc-
cupied. conrade was wounded in the leg.
and the writer, with three others, picked him
up and carried him Off toward large barn
that served as battlefield hospital. On the
way the little party, in spite of the thick
white smoke that overhung everything, were
a mark for a Confederate battery at the
Dunkard meeting house. and several shells
were consequently exploded about their ears.
fragment of a shell crushed both legs of
one of our party. The poor Iegless man was
then picked up by the other remaining two
who went on, while the writer struggled on
then as best he could by himself with the
man first wounded.
WOUNDED AND NERVOUS
The weather was warm Sept ~ and the
wounded man-one of whose arms was
around the writer's neck-was heavy. half
way to the barn the writer, nearly exhausted.
insisted on stopping to rest. But the bullets
were whizzing in all directions through the
air as busily as bees in white clover patch.
and the wounded man was therefore very
nervous. 1t used. by the way, to be a say
ing III the army that "when man is wounded
be Is whipped" Perhaps the nerves of some
men are unstrung by sudden pain. At all
events, the man i'll question trembled like a
white poplar leaf in the breeze at every azipn
OF bullet and begged to be helped on with
out any delay. To the writer's expostulation
that he must have time to recover his breath
the wounded mans rejoinder was: "I,m q
married man; you are not. OF course it
makes no difference whether you are killed
or not; you have no wifel" This was said in
all seriousness, for the man was utterly IN
capable OF a humorous sentiment
The ambulance train itself was an import
ant adjunct to the army. Early in the war
two ambulance wagons accompanied each
regiment, the pattern being a long, two
wheeled cart drawn by one horse, the interior
bed space for two reclining persons.
and keg, generally supposed by the soldiers
TO be full of brandy, hung rather ornament
ally beneath the step at the rear. The cover
was black and the entire appearance of the
vehicle was sad and undertaker-like. The |
moral effect on some Of the raw soldiers of |
these funeral looking machines following |
them into action was decidedly unwholesome. |
The pattern was borrowed from some Euro- |
pean service. But it soon gave way to tie |
two horse, four wheeled spring wagon, which
has ever since been the accepted type in this
country and is now familiar in all our large
cities. These wagons were organized into a |
rain, to each wagon, besides its driver, two
men being assigned as stretcher bearers n
action and hospital nurses at other times.
THE AMBULANCE CORPS.
This ambulance corps was distinguished by
wide green band encircling the sleeve, al
.hough the little flags which fluttered from
he tops OF the ambulance wagons and the
anger ones which were displayed at the field
hospitals were Of a deep orange. On the
&hn IL. i